The naturally-aspirated power unit produces 500hp, the same as the 4.0-litre Mezger engine in the Porsche 997 GT3 RS 4.0 that it succeeds, with the new engine also matching its predecessor’s 460Nm torque figure.

Larger than any previous direct fuel injection engine developed for the 911 family, the new flat six can accelerate the Porsche 991 GT3 RS from 0-62mph in an astonishing 3.3 seconds (only 0.2 seconds slower than the 560hp, four-wheel drive Porsche 991 Turbo S).

Like the Porsche 991 GT3, the new 911 GT3 RS features an uprated PDK gearbox, with the same ‘paddle neutral’ facility. However, the centre console also sees the addition of a pit lane speed limiter button, highlighting the latest Rennsport’s greater focus towards circuit work.

On the track, the new Porsche 991 GT3 RS will certainly fail to disappoint, with a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7m20s, a full eight seconds faster than the Carrera GT supercar (famously developed from the stillborn Porsche LMP2000 project).

The Porsche 991 GT3 RS’s track prowess has been achieved with an extensive influx of racing technology as a result of the car’s development at Weissach, home of Porsche Motorsport.

Utilising the 911 Turbo’s wide body shell and rear-wheel steering system, the Porsche 991 GT3 RS features a number of aerodynamic changes compared to its lesser GT3 brother.

The front wheel arches are topped with aggressive exit vents that create a low pressure zone, helping to increase front downforce, while the rear end is dominated by a huge Cup-like rear wing.

Elsewhere the carbon fibre bonnet’s indent is designed to mimic the classic-shelled cars of the Sixties and Seventies, with the groove running through the lightweight magnesium roof to reduce the RS’s overall centre of gravity.

The newly designed decklid cover (which shuns the ram-style air inlets of the 991 GT3) is also made from carbon fibre. Despite the wider body shell and larger engine, the Porsche 991 GT3 RS is 10kg lighter than the latest 911 GT3.

Inside, the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS features swathes of Alcantara, as well as the ubiquitous Rennsport pull handles, replacing the normal door handles on the rest of the 991 range.

Alongside the standard ‘Clubsport’ package (which features a bolted-in rear roll cage), the 991 GT3 RS features a new steering wheel and buckets seats, both based on the design used in the 918 Spyder hybrid hypercar.

Porsche’s UK pricing for the new 911 GT3 RS starts at £131,296 (a £30,756 premium over the standard GT3). While the order book is now open, the car is rumoured to have already sold out, with Porsche 918 customers the first to be offered the latest Rennsport 911.

With the first complete Porsche 991 GT3 RSs scheduled to hit our shores in May, stay up to date with all the latest Rennsport news at Total911.com.